LEXINGTON, KY (April 16, 2010) – Claiborne Farm’s Haka surged past Funny Moon leaving the far turn and went on to win the 16th running of the $100,000 Doubledogdare (G3) for older fillies and mares by one length before a crowd of 16,256 on Friday afternoon.

Trained by Christophe Clement, who also saddled runner-up Funny Moon, Haka covered the 1 1/16 miles on the main track in 1:44.72 under Garrett Gomez.

Funny Moon, making her first start of the year, led the field through fractions of  :24.13 and :47.90 while receiving token pressure from No Use Denying.  Entering the far turn, Funny Moon disposed of No Use Denying only to be challenged by Haka and odds-on favorite Striking Dancer.

Haka, a 4-year-old homebred daughter of Dynaformer, inched clear at the eighth pole and held Funny Moon at bay to record her third victory in 11 starts. The victory, Haka’s first in a stakes, was worth $60,000 and raised her career earnings to $226,167.

“I had a really good trip,” said Gomez, who also won this race in 2007 aboard Asi Siempre. “I had a good stalking, tracking trip. Once I got a little pressure about the half-mile pole, I eased her out from behind them. She ran on in the stretch.”

Sent off as the second choice, Haka returned $9.40, $4 and $2.60. Funny Moon, ridden by Julien Leparoux, returned $5.20 and $2.80 in finishing a head in front of Striking Dancer, who paid $2.10 to show under Robby Albarado. It was 8 ½ lengths back to Lady’s Laughter in fourth with No Use Denying fading to fifth.

Two stakes are on Saturday’s 10-race program that begins at 1:05 p.m. (ET). Headlining the card is the 29th running of the $300,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The Coolmore Lexington is the afternoon’s ninth race with a 5:15 p.m. post time.

Immediately preceding the Coolmore Lexington is the 14th running of the $100,000 Giant’s Causeway for fillies and mares going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf. Post time for the Giant’s Causeway is 4:43 p.m.

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